Biggest Scandals That Overtook Sporting Spirit of 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Scandal is always present throughout the Olympic Games, and Paris has been no different.

In addition to remarkable performances and world records, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris had a number of notable scandals. From drug charges to drone espionage and footage of animal brutality, Paris saw moments that organizers would’ve preferred to forget.

These incidents caused a great deal of controversy and had a long-term effect on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Gender War in Boxing Broke Out

Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei were both barred from competition by the International Boxing Association (IBA) on the grounds that they had failed sex tests that indicated they both contained the XY chromosome, giving them an unfair edge over female opponents. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did, however, grant permission for both to participate in the Olympic women’s boxing tournament.

Due to their gender, Khelif and Lin were the subject of intense criticism. They were accused of being masculine despite being naturally female at birth, which drew attention from the public, and it was mostly against them. In response, both took home the gold in their own divisions: Khelif in the welterweight category (66 kg), while Lin was best in the featherweight category (57 kg). Somehow, Khelif took the hardest blow when it came to her gender, as Angela Carini, an Italian boxer, left the bout against Khelif in the middle of the round after taking a barrage of cutting hits from her Algerian adversary, claiming it was impossible to get such blows from a female fighter.

Aussie Field Hockey Player Wanted to Buy Drugs

On the eve of the 12th day of the Olympic Games in the French capital, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) was taken aback by reports that their star field hockey player, Tom Craig, had been arrested the previous evening for allegedly trying to purchase cocaine on the streets of Paris and then escaping from the police. Eighteen hours after being brought into custody, a fatigued and disheveled Craig appeared from a Paris police station, where he apologized for his behavior and was hauled off by officials without further ado.

Craig avoided punishment and a fine; no formal charges were pressed against him, but his future with the “Kookaburras” is still up in the air. What happened instantly was that the AOC disqualified him from competing in the Games.

American Gymnast Stripped of Bronze

After her coach filed an inquiry, American gymnast Jordan Chiles was first given a bronze medal in the floor exercise. Her medal was eventually removed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), nonetheless, due to a delay in the inquiry’s submission.

This is what exactly happened.

Chiles’ bronze medal was taken away and given to Ana Bărbosu, a gymnast from Romania. Chiles finished fifth in the Olympic women’s floor exercise final, behind gold and silver medalists Rebeca Andrade and Simone Biles, as well as Bărbosu and another Romanian gymnast, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. Chiles was the last contestant in the final. After Chiles’ coach Cécile Landi inquired about her protégé’s performance, the judges reevaluated whether or not they had given Chiles due credit for the skills she demonstrated in her routine. After reconsideration, the judges increased Chiles’ difficulty level by 1/10 points, resulting in an overall score of 13.766, which was good enough to beat Bărbosu and Maneca-Voinea for third place. Chiles took part in the medal ceremony and was given the bronze medal. However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (FRG) appealed to CAS, which determined that Chiles’ appeal was submitted four seconds past the one-minute period. As a result, the Court decided to void the investigation and restore Chiles’ 13.666 score. Chiles’ medal was ultimately taken away by the IOC, and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) agreed with the decision and changed the final rankings to place Chiles in fifth.

Canadian Drone Espionage Disrupted Women’s Football

Prior to the women’s football competition, Canada used a drone to spy on New Zealand’s training routines. It appeared like a very straightforward operation. They succeeded, but the two involved officials were sent home, and in an act of good faith, head coach Beverly Priestman resigned from the first game. If you think this is where the story ended, you’re wrong.

What happened next was an odd chain of inquiries that revealed Canada had been using spy drones for years, with Priestman serving as the main force behind the operation. The English lady was removed from his position by Canadian football officials indefinitely, the team lost six competition points, and there have even been calls for Canada to forfeit its gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

Video of Horse Cruelty Stunned Great Britain

Charlotte Dujardin was on course to become the most successful Olympian in British history. After the Paris Games ended, there were rumors that she might be decorated with a Damehood of the Order of the British Empire. But after a four-year-old video surfaced that purportedly showed Dujardin “whipping a horse 24 times like a circus elephant”, the renowned equestrian never again stepped foot in the Versailles gardens.

Although there were questions regarding the timing of the video’s publication, Dujardin’s reputation suffered irreparable harm, and she immediately pulled out of the Paris Games. She was among the favorites—the third favorite, according to horse racing betting sites—to win gold in individual dressage.

Chinese Swimmers Were Engulfed in Doping Controversy… What’s New?

Following the acceptance of a decision by Chinese anti-doping regulators, CHINADA, that their athletes had been contaminated by consuming tainted burger meat, two Chinese swimmers, who had been suspended for a year by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), were later found not to have broken any laws.

Three months later, during the Paris Games, a shocking announcement was made revealing that 23 Chinese swimmers had been covertly cleared of any wrongdoing after testing positive for a prohibited heart medicine in 2021. Just another instance of WADA being overly lax on the world’s most powerful sports organization, or valid conclusions from CHINADA?

Argentina Won Men’s Football Opener… Wait a Minute – Morocco Won!

Fifteen minutes of additional time were added to the conclusion of Argentina’s match against Morocco in the men’s football competition opener. When Argentina’s Cristian Medina headed the ball into the goal to tie the score, as stoppage time was counting the 16th minute of play, Morocco was leading 2-1. The African team’s supporters started rioting in the stadium right away because they thought the game should’ve finished before Argentina scored. The game was halted because of spectators who invaded the field and detonated fireworks, fearing for the players’ safety.

The info on the Olympics website was modified to reflect the event as “interrupted” after what was presumably the call of full-time, with players and officials leaving the field and supporters being ordered to leave the stadium. Medina’s goal was being reviewed by the VAR, and after play was stopped for an hour and a half, the score was changed to reflect Medina’s goal being disallowed for offside. The game would then resume behind closed doors for the remainder of the stoppage time, it was declared. Play truly resumed behind closed doors after almost two hours, and the goal was formally disallowed. Morocco won after three minutes of additional play.